By MONTE DUTTON
At the end of Laurens’ spring football game on Thursday evening, head coach Greg Porter took microphone in hand to thank the attendees for being at K.C. Hanna Stadium.
It was rather hot and airless, and the baseball team had fallen in the state finals the night before. Still, the more faithful than most were there, and Porter appreciated it. The faithful appreciated that he appreciated it. They were encouraged by what they saw.
Porter also told them the team still had a lot of work to do.
At the end, the fact that the scoreboard read 21-0 made little sense. It wasn’t surprising, given that the white team was offense and the green defense, and it is not uncommon for offenses to score more points than defenses.
The affair was a trendsetter in that it featured both a public-address announcer and a DJ.
I had my usual grand time snapping photos and chatting with everyone – referees, student trainers, broadcasters, fellow Internetists, wags, pundits, tinkers, tailors, candlestick makers – within view.
The vibe is better. The Raiders are bigger. People seem optimistic.
As Porter cautioned, they aren’t there yet.
But they’re getting there.
Clinton High canceled its spring game, citing injuries. It was supposed to be held on Friday night. I had been excited because, in past years, the spring scrimmages were held on the same night, and traditionally I started at one and finished at another. This particular Friday night, it appears as if I might be watching the Mavericks play the Timberwolves.
The sportswriter becomes contemplative this time of year in the same manner that most do at Christmas. It’s school’s end. The local fields are soon to lie fallow.
What happened that I will remember.
I’ll remember interviewing Daryl Smith after his Raiders were clobbered again by Clinton. When it was over, I thanked Daryl and said to him that a lot of coaches would have fled without talking.
He said, ”I’d rather talk to you than go out that gate.’
The natives were restless there.
I was happy when Thornwell Charter announced that Smith was going to coach the team there. Now the Saints have announced they don’t have enough players to field a team, particularly against Abbeville. I heard Daryl has found a job at Saluda. I hope the Tigers win.
I’ll remember the weekend from hell when Belton-Honea Path beat Clinton on Friday night and Wofford beat Furman on Saturday, and the further aggravation of being sick enough that I had no business being either place.
I’ll remember the night at a Laurens baseball playoff game when, wandering around the grounds snapping photos, I drew an incredibly stupid and absentminded conclusion that was why a young woman in a lawn chair couldn’t keep a straight face. I mistook a comment about Northwestern High School as being about Northwestern University. On one hand, both schools wear purple. On the other, the Raiders were playing the Rock Hill high school. About 30 seconds after wandering elsewhere, it occurred to me how moronic I had just been.
That young woman and her father most likely remember me as a cross between Abbott and Costello. Or Hardy of Laurel and Hardy. Mister Magoo. I can think of no modern equivalent.
I’ll remember the long-suffering Presbyterian College career of women’s basketball coach Alaura Sharp ending in triumph. She escaped to Appalachian State, where former men’s basketball coach Dustin Kerns also now resides, and I wish her the best.
The best-laid plans …
USC Upstate eliminated top-seeded Presbyterian, 9-8, from the Big South Championship tournament on Friday.
The conference Pitcher of the Year, Daniel Eagen, lost the opener on Thursday. Another Big South first-teamer, Charlie McDaniel, started on Friday and left trailing, 6-3. The Player of the Year, center fielder Joel Dragoo, was 1/8 in the two games.
Friday’s game lasted nine innings but seemed as if it took forever.
USC Upstate once led, 5-1, and was up 6-3 when shortstop Brody Fahr blasted one of the grander of slams to put Presbyterian up, 7-6, but it was shortlived. The last comeback was the Spartans’. They scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning.
USC Upstate’s Jace Rinehart singled with one away in the first inning, then stole second. First baseman Grant Sherrod walked. Rinehart stole third base on something of a trick play, and right fielder Koby Kropf one-hopped the wall, driving in Rinehart and Sherrod with his double.
A third run was controversial when Kropf was ruled safe on Troy Hamilton’s sacrifice fly. Kropf missed the plate, but the home-plate umpire ruled PC catcher Ryan Becker missed the tag. Head coach Elton Pollock requested a review that failed.
The Spartans led, 3-0, before the Blue Hose batted.
Upstate starter Henry Proger beaned the PC leadoff man, Jay Wetherington, to open the bottom half. Then Proger hit Fahr. Dragoo’s fly ball to right moved up the runners. Noah Lebron’s sacrifice fly to center scored Wetherington.
Charlie McDaniel responded by retiring the Spartans in order on three groundouts in the second inning. PC’s Becker walked with two out in the bottom half, and first baseman Eli Lazio singled to deep short, but Wetherington flied out to left.
Troy Hamilton drove in Upstate’s fourth run with a two-out single, and Vance Sheahan made it 5-1 with an infield base hit. The inning finally ended on David Pereira’s lineout to Jack Gorman at second base.
Dragoo grounded into a double play in the bottom of the third inning.
In the fourth, the Blue Hose chipped away. Jake Randolph opened with a single, and Gorman followed with a double. Both scored on groundouts to second base by Evan Cuervo and Becker.
Presbyterian (29-27) turned its own double play, 6-4-3 (Fahr to Gorman to Lazio), in the top of the fifth inning.
Proger retired the top of the Blue Hose order – Wetherington, Fahr and Dragoo – in order in the bottom half.
Hamilton led off the sixth with a double, but McDaniel threw to Fahr and nailed him on a pickoff play. The next batter, Sheahan, homered to left-center field, putting USC Upstate up, 6-3. Pereira bounced a pitch off the left-field fence, but Lebron threw to Fahr, who in turn fed Gorman to nail Pereira at second base.
The Spartans turned their second double play to quiet the Hose in sixth.
Sean Hollister arrived on the mound in McDaniel’s stead to open the seventh inning. Hollister yielded only a hit.
Proger remained on the hill for Upstate. With one out, Becker reached on an error and Lazio was hit by a pitch. Then Wetherington singled to load the bases.
This caused some consternation in the Upstate dugout, so Jake Cubbler came in to hurl. Further consternation ensued. Fahr homered to right field, and PC led, 7-6. It was the senior from Greer’s third blast of the season.
Cubbler got out of the inning without further incident.
Upstate’s Sheahan smacked his third hit with one out in the eighth inning. Jake Armsey tied the game with a double to right-center field. Down in the count 0-2, Armsey took two borderline balls before lashing his two-base hit.
Randolph bounced the first pitch of the PC eighth over the left-field fence for a ground-rule double. That bouncer bounced Cubbler. Aaron Hobson ran for Randolph. Trent Hodgdon took the mound for the Spartans. Gorman singled and PC led again, 8-7. Rhogue Wallace bunted Gorman to third base.
Hodgdon struck out Becker and threw out Lazio on a grounder back to the mound.
Sullivan laced a double off Hollister to open the ninth inning. Rinehart grounded out to third, and pinchrunner Cullison held, but Sherrod singled up the middle to tie the score at 8. Kropf flied out, but Hamilton singled to put runners on first and second. Sheahan walked to load the bases. Hollister remained long enough to hit Tyler Lang with a pitch and put Upstate ahead, 9-8.
The game and season went down in order in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Take a look at the box here.
Decision time is approaching. What’s next? Do I keep doing it the way I am now? Do I amend this site? Do I continue to concentrate on local sports coverage, or do I change my priorities?
I’m thinking. I’m thinking.
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